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This report describes an extensive Russia-linked phishing and disinformation campaign. It provides evidence of how documents stolen from a prominent journalist and critic of Russia was tampered with and then “leaked” to achieve specific propaganda aims. We name this technique “tainted leaks.” The report illustrates how the twin strategies of phishing and tainted leaks are sometimes used in combination to infiltrate civil society targets, and to seed mistrust and disinformation. It also illustrates how domestic considerations, specifically concerns about regime security, can motivate espionage operations, particularly those targeting civil society.

The United States Government’s Willful Ignorance Is Costing Soldiers’ LivesPosted by John Bernard, 1st Sgt. USMC (ret.)Dec 29th 2011 at 5:23 pm

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To that end, it has been my contention that this administration, the past administration and the entire upper end structure of the military machine has failed miserably. Not only have they chosen the wrong strategy to achieve a definable victory for their nation, they chose one that has been disproportionately brutal for our forces while providing cover for the enemy and the population that has proven over and over again to be untrustworthy.

History has defined and will continue to define only a miniscule number of opportunities for a theater-wide application of the precepts of Counterinsurgency Doctrine to have been efficacious. Even a casual glance at the human terrain in either Iraq or Afghanistan, with Syria and Iran to possibly follow, should have given the critical thinker everything they needed to adequately keep COIN under lock and key in the vault of terrible ideas.

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First of all, if someone can point me toward the ongoing, public record of support for America in either of these operations or the public record of Muslim denunciation of the actions of the “terrorist” or “radicalized” Muslim or Jihad as a war doctrine, Taqiyya as a deceptive practice with the intent of keeping the enemy off balance, please show me?

The clear evidence only suggests groups as defined by those who willingly strap on bombs and those who do not. Unfortunately, we know that from within the second group comes the financial and spiritual support for the first.

Suggesting you can parse these two and do harm to one while garnering support for said harm from the “moderates” simply misses the truth about religion – all religion!

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We watch the wanton destruction of human life by the forces of Islam and the associated silence from the “moderates” every day. Is it the contention of those who submit to the “two Islams” vision that we should continue to assume the best of a people whose religion is belligerent to non-believers?

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The First Sargent correctly imho distills the “problem” into the concept: “It not what we think, it’s what it is that counts.”

Their “moderates” support their “extremists”.

Any failure to recognize this fact in policy, strategy, or tactics dooms us to failure. And, failure, in this case, translates into dead human beings. Soldiers and civilians on both sides are lost due to the stupidity of our leadership. Or lack there of.

We need to get the girls and boys out of the fire zone until we figure it out.